This is an archived document and does not contain the most current information for this topic. Use this document for reference only.

Minnesota Health Care Programs

Eligibility Policy Manual (Archive)

This manual has been updated to a new format on October 4, 2021. The EPM User Guide provides information about some of the new features.

Welcome to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Minnesota Health Care Programs Eligibility Policy Manual (EPM).The manual contains the official DHS eligibility policies for the Minnesota Health Care Programs including Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare. Minnesota Health Care Programs policies are based on the state and federal laws and regulations that govern the programs. See Legal Authority section for more information.

The EPM is for use by applicants, enrollees, health care eligibility workers and other interested parties. It provides accurate and timely information about policy only. The EPM does not provide procedural instructions or systems information that health care eligibility workers need to use.

Manual Letters

DHS issues periodic manual letters to announce changes in the EPM. These letters document updated sections and describe any policy changes.

MHCP EPM Manual Letter #22.1, January 1, 2022

2021 Manual Letters2021 Manual Letters

2020 Manual Letters2020 Manual Letters

2019 Manual Letters2019 Manual Letters

2018 Manual Letters2018 Manual Letters

2017 Manual Letters2017 Manual Letters

2016 Manual Letters2016 Manual Letters

Bulletins

DHS bulletins provide information and direction to county and tribal health and human services agencies and other DHS business partners. According to DHS policy, bulletins more than two years old are obsolete. Anyone can subscribe to the Bulletins mailing list.

A DHS Bulletin supersedes information in this manual until incorporated into this manual. The following bulletins have not yet been incorporated into the EPM:

COVID-19 Emergency Bulletins: These bulletins announce temporary policy modifications, which supercede policies in this manual, during the COVID-19 emergency. Because these bulletins provide temporary guidance, they will not be incorporated into this manual.

Prior versions of EPM sections are available upon request. This manual consolidates and updates eligibility policy previously found in the Health Care Programs Manual (HCPM) and Insurance Affordability Programs Manual (IAPM). Prior versions of policy from the HCPM and IAPM are available upon request.

Refer to the EPM Archive for archived sections of the EPM.

Contact Us

Direct questions about the Minnesota Health Care Programs Eligibility Policy Manual to the DHS Health Care Eligibility and Access (HCEA) Division, P.O. Box 64989, 540 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55164-0989, call (888) 938-3224 or fax (651) 431-7423.

Health care eligibility workers must follow agency procedures to submit policy-related questions to HealthQuest.

Legal Authority

Many legal authorities govern Minnesota Health Care Programs, including but not limited to: Title XIX of the Social Security Act; Titles 26, 42 and 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations; and Minnesota Statutes chapters 256B and 256L. In addition, DHS has obtained waivers of certain federal regulations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Each topic in the EPM includes applicable legal citations at the bottom of the page.

DHS has made every effort to include all applicable statutes, laws, regulations and other presiding authorities; however, erroneous citations or omissions do not imply that there are no applicable legal citations or other presiding authorities. The EPM provides program eligibility policy and should not be construed as legal advice.